Page 51 of New Nebraska Home

“No one gives a fuck what you freaks want,” he scoffed as a more petite girl, one with long pointed ears and a tinge of pink in her skin, carrying a gurney, moved around him to the porch.

“I haven’t gotten all the crime scene pictures yet, Olive,” the officer snapped.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Detective Cockburn. I thought you’d moved to questioning the witnesses. Let me get out of your way so you can do your job.” Her words were sugary and sweet, but had just enough edge to convey her meaning.

“It’s Corkburn,” he growled, returning to the body to take photos.

The girl with the pinkish skin walked up to me and handed me a card. “The detective’s boss. She’s an elemental, but her husband is a Fae…” I think I understood what she was trying to say.

“Olive,” Detective Corkburn snapped. “Get over here now.”

She looked back at him and then back at me, murmuring, “You’re not alone here, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe either, I’m afraid.”

Brock

NO ONE IS SAFE

This was my fault. It was all my fault. I let Cal hold me in his arms, and I took comfort from him, even though I didn’t deserve it. I did this.

When I called Osric, and I told him about the gifted halfling child I’d stumbled across, and how a gang of small-minded asshats was tormenting him, I thought he would send someone down to train him. A full Fae who could gauge his powers, find out what his gifts were and how to use them.

When I saw it was Amelia, I should have sent her home immediately.

I didn’t because I was selfish. She had been a friend, and I was even a friend of her wife’s. They knew about my crush on Cal and how he and I had a few near misses. So, when she came up with the idea of flirting to make him jealous, and maybe Liz too, I jumped at the chance. I mean, who wouldn’t?

A less selfish man wouldn’t have. I should have sent her away, told her it wasn’t safe here, and told her to get back to the city as fast as she could. Now I had to call Osric and tell him his favorite cousin was dead. It was my job to call her wife.

Fuck, how was I going to do that? How could I call her and tell her that her wife helped me build the mate bond that was forming in our little circle, just to die herself? It would crush Stacy. They were mates, and I doubted she would be alive long without her other half.

It would have to wait. I couldn’t let Cal out of my sight while Detective Corkburn was still here, blaming Liz for what the Temple did. He should have been out there hunting down the fuckers who did this, but that shiny little Temple pin above his badge told me that wouldn’t happen anytime soon. He was probably planning how he would pin it on one of us.

Fuck. My. Life.

More and more cops turned up. They asked us to stay outside, even though Amelia’s body had never been in the home. They still insisted on searching it. We wanted to protest, but Liz gave them permission. I didn’t know if that was because she was still in shock or just thought it would be quicker that way, but I wished she’d insisted on a warrant. There wasn’t anything I was hiding, but there sure as shit were things that the fucker Corkburn could plant.

I gave the cop, a pink Fae named Olive, her wife’s contact number, too chicken shit to call her myself, and we all gave statements.

Then, the four of us sat on the grass and waited for the detectives to do their thing and leave. Liz stayed in Malik’s arms, and Cal and I held each other. If I thought the foursome thing would be weird, this moment put that to rest. I wanted to be there holding Liz, but I needed all my strength if Corkburn came back talking shit. Cal was too close to the edge, too stressed to hear that ignorant pig say anything else directed at Liz. He could make this entire thing so much worse for her. I needed to hold him back and let him take care of me. I couldn’t do that if Liz wasn’t also being taken care of by someone who could protect her.

Malik was the only person I would trust her with as much as I would trust her with Cal. It was weird. I didn’t know him well, but I knew she was safe with him.

While we were waiting for the detectives to finish, Corkburn came out of the house. Cal’s body tensed under me. He didn’t move, but his muscles were ready to spring into action at any moment.

Corkburn didn’t even spare us a glance. He went to a black town car that pulled up to the curb between cop cars. Corkburn opened the back seat and mumbled something I couldn’t hear, but it had Cal glaring with suspicion and a low growl coming from Malik.

“Christ on a cracker, now what?” Liz sighed. But surprisingly, she didn’t look exhausted. Between the fuck fest earlier, the shock, and the detectives tracking mud into her house for the last hour, I thought our little human would be drained, half asleep in Malik’s arms. She didn’t look tired. She was wide awake and pissed off. Her eyes were brighter than they had been, her skin seemed finer, and her hair was lush and shiny. There was even more color on her lips and cheeks. Liz had always been beautiful, but now she looked… invigorated, as if she had just returned from a week-long vacation at a 5-star spa.

“Incoming,” Cal warned under his breath, and my attention turned back to the detective and the man who had gotten out of the town car. He was rail-thin in a dated suit. He reminded me of the character of a door-to-door salesman from the 1950’s. The kind who went and prayed on rich, bored housewives with the newest elixir that would cure all their ails. I think they were called snake oil salesmen.

I wasn’t the only one who was on edge. Cal’s body tensed as he stood to meet the men heading towards us. Malik and Liz stood, too, and I followed suit.

Liz looked at the man straight on. Malik took her hand and shifted his body, not in front of her, but where he could pull her away if needed. Both men were on full alert. And if that wasn’t enough to make me know I hated this guy, then the way he sneered as he eyed the bite marks on Liz’s and my necks was plenty.

“Hello, my name is Mr. Zmei, though my friends call me Sid,” he said with a slimy smile. I swear he was one second away from offering us a terrific deal on a previously loved SUV.

“How can we help you, Mr. Zmei?” Liz asked.

“Well, little lady. First, I wanted to offer you my condolences for the events that happened here tonight. I understand it must have been quite shocking for you.”

---